Suffering for a cause...

****Note- this is a slight reworking of a piece from a couple of years ago-  2 years after I last did a bit of fundraising for Samaritans by dragging my extra kgs around Lough Neagh, I am doing it again****

We're cyclists and we are in love with pain. From the very first coverage of the classics and Grand Tours, tales are based on adjectives that wouldn't look out of place in a realistic, gritty war novel. Since the first bike races were held to sell newspapers, and they were the only way to keep the public informed, dramatic tales of suffering and heroism became the norm, the more evocative and entrancing, the more copies of your paper would be sold.

The semi-religious, semi-martial mythologies of the convicts of the road shaped how the narratives around bike racing were formed, even today with our more cynical and media-savvy populace. "Calvary", "Enfer du nord", "Fight for Pink"- these motifs are still drawn upon as journalists and authors try to give the general public at least some semblance of an insight into the men and women who make their living hauling 6.8kg of carbon fibre up mountain passes or across unforgiving cobbles.

And so- this is quite a tenuous link to what I really want to write about tonight. Yes there is some heroism in suffering, particularly when it would be easier and more tempting just to step off the bike- both literally and figuratively. And there is always room for heroism and dealing with pain alone- however we have to remember that there are limits. Limits where even the most ardent, most competitive cyclist knows that they have reached and maybe it is time to turn around and ask the directeur sportif to let them into the car. Even the best don't go beyond their limits without the support and safety net of a team. And this is not just about physical pain and exhaustion- any sportsperson will tell you the mental aspect is as important, if not more so, and needs careful monitoring and conditioning, just as muscles and the cardiovascular system do. If you read anything about Team Sky and British Cycling success stories, every rider and staff member will mention the role of Steve Peters and how he was as important as the aerodynamists or interpreters of training data.

And this Sunday I will be going through the physical suffering to try and help alleviate those whose pain isn't so visible. I will be doing Lap the Lough to raise funds for Craigavon branch of Samaritans. Yep I know it is only 90 miles (I will be adding a few extra on to make the ton) and many people will see this as no more than a normal Sunday run, but I have to admit that work and other commitments (including those linked to being a Samaritan volunteer) mean that I am already trying to work out my pacing strategy (not helped by the changed route- thanks folks!!). My training has been derailed for one reason and another so it will be a long day in the saddle- a few events that I normally use over the summer to get the legs working were cancelled or postponed this year so I am short in miles - and I only wish this was me getting my excuses in early!

No matter what time of day or night, or what time of year there will be Samaritan volunteers listening to callers or replying to e-mails or texts sent  by people who want to be listened to. In some cases they are ready to step off the bike, but in many other cases they simply want to be heard. My Lap the Lough adventure will go a small way to make sure Craigavon branch is able to offer that opportunity to be heard- to be the team car handing out energy gels and bidons to ensure the person can make it that bit further,  and hopefully closer to safety so that when they do climb of the bike it is into the safety of a team bus, and not an abandonment with no one around .



I'm not a natural fundraiser- I really hate asking people for money particularly in these tight times, but if you would like to ease my physical pain and the mental pain of many, many others my fundraising page is here. And if you can't give that is fine- you can do your bit by simply spreading the word that Samaritans exist, they can be contacted on 116 123 (free call) or e-mailed at jo@samaritans.org .

 (Please note that if you do want to contact Samaritans use those details rather than just through this blog.)

Book Review- The Secret Cyclist (Yellow Jersey Press, 2019)

The Secret Pro over on Cycling Tips has been a constant go-to for quite some time now. Its insight from the male and female pelotons appears on a very irregular basis, (so it can be disappointing when no article is posted following some big or controversial developments) but as soon as one surfaces, I click over immediately. Of course part of the attraction is trying to piece together details in the articles to try and work out who is behind the keyboard, but the strength of the Secret Pro is that the content is informative and well (ghost) written, so that this is not the overwhelming focus. There have been suggestions that it is the product of more than one pro and their stories merged and the writer often clearly admits to throwing in the odd red herring to frustrate the amateur sleuths, but no matter what the theories, it is always worth a read - it is just a shame that the dispatches from the SHEcret Pro who reports from the women's bunch are even rarer than the male one.

That lead me to this book, which arrived with no fanfare last month- in fact I came across it when browsing in a book shop next to work one lunch time. I normally am quite alert to new books (for example I'm looking forward to William Fotheringham's Beryl Burton offering) so to just happen upon it was a bit strange. It should also be clearly noted that this is not the Cycling Tips Secret Pro- it is generally recognised that he is an antipodean whereas it is more probable-than-not that the unnamed author here is European. But you would expect a book, based on an insider view of the world of pro-cycling to have more of a buzz about it- particularly when thinking about some of the more recent issues that most of us would dearly love to know what the pros really thought- eg Froome and Wiggins' TUE shenanigans, mechanical fraud, DSs and coaches with links to the bad old days etc.

So of course the obvious question- who is the secret cyclist? Did I work it out? Well we will come to that- at the end...

The writing style is quite simple and clear- either this is mostly the work of the cyclist himself or the ghost writer avoided the temptation to avoid any stylistic flourishes. It is basically "this is what happened, this is what I think about it" and to be fair this is probably a strength- this is basically gossip and it is the what happened and why that readers will be interested in, not a more up to date Krabbé or Jean Bobet masterclass in writing about cycling.

Rather than add too many spoilers, it probably makes sense just to briefly summarise some of the topics touched on by the Secret Cyclist, rather than go into detail about what he thinks about them. Phil Gaimon, famous now for his cookie makin', KoM takin' post-retirement antics actually gets a bit of a hard time in the book. Sky/ INEOS are discussed, as well as various controversies over the past few years. Certain equipment brands may not be pleased with the less than glowing (no pun intended) references but then that is the benefit of anonymity ( though some folk may take umbrage with Gaimon's treatment since he actually puts his name to his output).

There are more personal reflections too- about the day to day life, and the need to balance family and relationships alongside training and competition. The SC discusses the decision he and his wife made as to where to actually live, and how work-life balance was key to that. One chapter is actually written by his wife, to give another interesting perspective but one thing that underpins the whole book is the high level of self-awareness exhibited by the author. He is very aware of the bubble in which he lives, and discusses his attempts to have a sustainable life that keeps him in the right place mentally, as well as his preparations for retirement (the Phil Ochs fan in me struggled to avoid using "Rehearsals for Retirement" there...).

The book is easily and quickly read, and may be of a wider interest than just die-hard fans- for example my wife picked it up and was quite interested to read through quite a few chapters. While not choc-a-bloc with earth-shattering expositions, it does sate the desire to find out what (at least some sections of the) World Tour pros think about outside of dull, media trained interviews. However they did have to be careful in case his identify became known because some DSs and equipment manufacturers might not be very pleased with their portrayal. And that leads back to the first point I raised- can the identity of SC be worked out? Actually I think it can, and quite easily with a wee bit of effort. About 20 minutes on Procyclingstats and picking up on a few comments that were designed to be throwaway but reveal more they seem and I am convinced there is only one person who fits the bill. Who is it? That would be giving the game away but if I put on my cryptic crossword hat all I will say is "that options are initially limited...". 😉😎

Book Review- Magic Spanner: The World of Cycling According to Carlton Kirby

Carlton is a commentator on who people have definite opinions- there is a well worn cliché based on a certain yeast extract that I could drop in here but won't. Personally I like Carlton- yes, occasionally he can be infuriating but he knows his job and he does it well- his passion for cycling is real and he isn't afraid to show it (listen to his commentary on Keisse's famous Tour of Turkey stage win or him audibly welling up as he described Stijn Devolder continually battling to come back to the head of the leading group despite countless incidences of bad luck during Paris-Roubaix a few years back). His mastery of language, puns, and stream-of-consciousness verbiage, often in the heat of the battle is to be admired as well as his irreverent lifting of the curtain showing us back stage at the world's biggest cycling races.

So I was looking forward to seeing if this book would reflect his on-screen (or at least on-mic) personality, and it does. The content is strewn with Kirby-isms (probably the most Kirbylike of all being the one about Henri Cornet- I won't spoil it!) so reading it, can at times be like listening to him calling a close GC-shaping summit finish. The tempo throughout seems to reflect that of a stage- sometimes flowing along then suddenly a burst of action, followed by some more calmness before a final flurry. He covers incidents in the race, on the road, in the booth and in media circus and a lot of the tales that involve Sean Kelly, Brian Smith or Daniel Lloyd seem to match up perfectly with the personas they project on screen. In fact they are such central characters they could almost qualify as being credited as co-authors.

One of the things you can definitely say about Carlton is that he has got a high level of self-awareness and this comes through- he is confident in his abilities and at times it may veer a wee bit towards Milwall-esque "No one likes me and I don't care" it is clear he has no misconceptions as to where he sits in regards his profession , almost taking on and relishing the role of the confident pub raconteur, holding court on many subjects and professing on them without fear of contradiction.

The actual content of the book is on the whole every illuminating and humorous. However some of this is lost when he insists on falling back onto lazy, national stereotypes when describing the actions of others- in many cases he refers to them by nationality rather than name, as if that was some kind of explanation as to why they acted the way they did. On the other hand when he is talking about British riders, he goes into great detail to highlight their differences in character and personality and portrays them more as whole people rather than the other Europeans who are often reduced to hackneyed descriptions. Also his clear love of Team Sky/ INEOS and their riders seems to prevent him from criticising them at all, unlike other individuals or teams in the book. Carlton is probably the only person involved in cycling who thinks Sky PR played a blinder in relation to the scandals and situations they have found themselves embroiled in. His profile of Froome plays up some rather unattractive personality traits but presents them as laudable, and doesn't even mention the Sabutomol case- it is only mentioned later in passing in a different part of the book, and when he profiles Wiggins, there is no mention of the TUE stuff either. There is a blind acceptance that Froome was cleared in regards his difficulties despite the fact that he was not vindicated- a rider with fewer capital resources behind him would still currently be serving a suspension. 

Maybe this is the difficulty with producing a book while still working in the media around cycling- it is clear that anything touching on criticism of Sky/Ineos would run the risk of him impacting Eurosport's access to them which they can't afford- see Brailsford's reaction to other media outlets in the past and indeed Carlton admitting here about having to apologise on-air to Froome who had texted him following coverage of an incident at the Veulta- despite Kirby being in the right saying what he said. It is unfortunate because this does spoil the behind-the -scenes no holds barred view that this book is being sold as. Also he gets a wee bit "Little Englander" towards the end when saying that he gets great pleasure about the fact the British riders have been so successful to the detriment of the traditional cycling powers in Europe- an element of exceptionalism normally found in the letters pages of the Daily Mail that doesn't seem to sit so well particularly taking cycling's more internationalist outlook into consideration.

So in summary, some very nice anecdotes, an interesting reflection on elements of life in the cycling bubble but just a bit too much "Johnny Foreigner doesn't like it up 'em" and granting full absolution for Team Sky despite their sins not necessarily having been fully disclosed in the confessional. 

 

 

Back Once Again (for the Renegade Master...)

Ok, I admit it. Over the past while, this blog has been like a Sky fan's replica jersey when the soccer season is on. Good intentions (you should see the draft folder of half constructed ramblings which would be anachronistic to finish and post now) have not necessarily been followed up by actions either here, or more concernedly, on the bike.  Last year was the first in many years when I didn't take part in a single event or sportive, even the one that starts literally 450 metres away from my house. The bike has gone weeks without being touched, and I was frankly embarrassed that my yearly total of kms "gotten in" was less than what many folk would do in a month. To be honest the rot had set in the previous year when I didn't take part in Lap the Lough, even though I had signed up for it. I had to go on a course that weekend, but the fact I was relieved to have this as an excuse should have set alarm bells ringing- the first time in 7 years I hadn't circumnavigated Lough Neagh, which was normally my main event of the year.

It wasn't cycling that put me off- I was still staying up way too late at night watching any race I could. Paris-Roubaix and the World Championships still saw me staking out a spot in front of the TV for hours. It wasn't the weather either- after all if you don't ride in the rain in Ireland, you don't get to ride a lot, and anyway  Flanderian type conditions allow me to continue to fool myself daydreaming that if things had been different I could have been the next Sean Kelly (probably closer to being Frank Kelly playing Fr Jack). It just seemed that for various reasons motivation was hard to come by (I was going to add "and time" there but when I am motivated, I always find time). I would lie in bed at night planning the next day's route, but when it came to it the actual act of getting into my gear, pumping tyres, checking lights etc, it just seemed so much effort and a quick glance outside at the shrub in the garden that is a good indicator of wind strength and direction was enough to have me back down on the couch. Even a week off at Easter with some great weather saw me using painting the fence as an excuse not to go out for even a short spin.

But recently I have found some old stirrings reappearing. I signed up for LtL back in Jan to give myself something to work towards. A bit of weight loss over Lent and getting some of my evenings back (I have been constantly delivering various courses at night since Sept) seem to be helping. Some of the other issues impacting motivation are still there (though really getting out on the bike should be a cure for many of those). The average has dropped, the inclines more difficult but somehow the mojo has reappeared. I have entered a sportive just over a month from now to give myself something else to keep me out there. And that is the reason I have added to this blog tonight- it is another marker- simply doing something. Yes, this stuff probably isn't of interest to anyone out side of a small circle of friends (hey-come for the cycling content, stay for the Phil Ochs lyrics) but the Giro is on, the Amgen ToC TV coverage still has more onscreen graphics at any one time that really makes me concerned for the attention span of their intended viewer (though it would explain a hell of a lot!) and I've got tickets to see Billy Bragg in Dublin in July- so the signs are good that the motivation should be here for quite some time to come!

Book Review- "The Invisible Mile" by David Coventry, (2015, Picador)

Verbosity does not always equal profundity

Let me begin by saying that David Coventry writes beautifully. Or, to be more precise, he writes beautiful, individual sentences, laced with metaphor and discriptive prowess, and keen observations. So why do I make the distinction? Simply because almost every single sentence in the book is overwritten in this way. It makes reading more of a slog than actually riding the 1928 Tour de France. Often I found myself getting agitated because sometimes being direct is fine- not every element of every sentence should require mental gymnastics to get to the core of the plot. Don't get me wrong- I like an intellectual challenge but this book simply seems to ignore what Freud, in an other context once said- "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar!".

In many cases it feel that the author has mistaken verbosity with profundity. There are many conversations detailed in the book, but they are more like those you would expect from characters in a surrealist existentialist play directed by sixth formers- almost a parody, where every single word and action is drenched in meaning and no one responds simply or directly. You get the feeling that even asking any of the characters what time the stage starts the next day would result in a treatise on the fluiduty and temporal nature of time rather than a simple "9:30am". Even the conversations and contributions from the crowds watching the Tour go past are framed as profound- the simple peasant woman mourning her daughter lost during the war seems to speak like a philosophy professor leading a symposium on the nature of loss.

As for the narrator- I don't remember ever getting so annoyed with a fictional character! If he used the energy he expended on his deep conversations (internal and external), getting drunk and spending nights with a female (both in bed and on car journeys in the middle of the night)on actually riding his bike, he would have beaten Franz, never mind Opperman! Cycling is a sport where conservation of effort is one of the keys to success, and this is not reflected in the writing in this book. The closer we get to the end, the more of the character of the narrator is revealed and it is impossible to have any empathy or sympathy for him the longer it goes on.

There are some twists as we go on, but these are signposted quite early for the more attentive reader (and anagram fans might pick up on one of the most unsavory reveals before it happens). The end of the book left me with mixed feelings- glad that I had finished it, but the actual denouement seemed a bitter cop-out- an attempt to make the reader feel even worse about human nature than a book that is grounded in the aftermath of the First World War (as individuals and countries were still trying to come to terms with it) and other personal tragedies already does.

Coventry has blended fact and fiction in this book- some of the riders and events were real, whereas others are not. This can be distracting if you actually know about history of the Tour de France- yes 1928 did see the first NZ/ Australian team enter and Opperman was a real person (in fact his life story would be worthy of a work on its own). Frantz really won that year and others like Bottecchia who was mentioned in passing existed (although Conventry got the dates of his victories wrong). The narrator is a fiction as is the names of many of the teams he mentions, so part of the problem when reading is the little voice at the back of my head that kept pointing out what was real and what wasn't. To be honest being a cycling fan could actually be an obstacle in getting through this book.

Of course maybe the frustrations, the hard going and the lovely writing are a clever ploy by Coventry to allow the reader some sympathy with the struggles of the riders. After all, they are also surrounded by beauty but are unable to appreciate it because of the demands of just making it through. I felt guilty about not always appreciating Coventry's skill with the written word, but I had had reached saturation point. Sentences that danced around and around what they were meant to describe and left room for ambiguity, and phrases used where words would have done ( "bullets" is dramatic enough instead of "shouts of death") meant that the whole book could be submitted to Pseuds Corner in Private Eye.

Perhaps Coventry's undoubted skills as a wordsmith would be better suited to a travelogue type book, because he could definitely replicate natural beauty on the page, but as for "The Invisible Mile" I have never been so conflicted about a book before. While I don't want a simple linear "We did this and then did that", this doesn't come anywhere near the quality of Tim Krabbé's "The Rider" which takes the same cerebal, pyschologicial approach but does it so much better without feeling so forced.

Porte-nts of Froome...?

Only a week until this modern classic echos forth once more from the television, followed by Gary Imlach's acerbic, dead pan and economical but effective introductions, summing up quite complex action in a few words.  Boardman and Boulting will ham it up for the cameras while Phil and Paul try to outdo each other in seeing who can misidentify the most riders. Well ,OK forget that last bit since it seems Millar and Boulting will be calling the action instead but anyway... Yes, the annual 3 week long advert for the French ( and this year German and Belgian) Tourist Board has come around again, and suddenly rugby and soccer supporters transform themselves into cycling fans in the way Wimbledon turns many into tennis fans for the duration. 

As the first rider leaves the start ramp in Dusseldorf for the opening TT,  the editors of Tour and the Official Tour de France guide will breath a sigh of relief if all their cover stars actually make it to the race, which doesn't happen every year.  Suddenly the predictions and form guides that had been developed ever since the season kicked off in Australia and used to fill gaps in the action by commentators in every race since can finally be held up to scrutiny.  So on current showing, is Froome going to come away with his fourth maillot juane?

A lot has been made of the fact that each year he taken the top step on the Champs Elysees podium, Froome has won, at the very least, 5 races since the season started. Currently the 2017 shelf in his trophy cabinet is very bare- empty in fact. Add on Richie Porte's great start (particularly his Dauphiné performance compared to his mucker) and inidications are that maybe Corbyn's recent electoral performance isn't the only thing that can make a Murdoch throw their toys out of the pram. However a caveat or two- Froome's victories have come because of decent performances which tail off in the last week. Has this year's lack of results come about because of a different approach. designed to allow him to peak later and save more of himself for the final week? Is that this year's equivalent of his attack on a descent and a four up time-trail with the green jersey to break away and spoil the sprinter's day out?

No matter the reason for the lowly palmarés this year (lowly in relative terms of course!), it was quite clear that Froome wasn't at the top of his game on the Dauphiné. His aggression on the Mont du Chat seemed to be more of desperation rather than a planned tactical assault, as if he knew he wouldn't have enough to do any damage when gravity went from being an ally to the enemy again. Even his interactions with his supposed best mate seemed to be bullish- he undercut Porte very tightly on the descent and then steered him into the boards as they wound up for the sprint. Watching, I felt Froome wasn't displaying his usual temperament. Was it a coincidence that he was acting out of character in around the same time L'Équipe was running a quickly denied story linking him to a BMC move? Let's imagine a hypothetical situation- if the article had any grain of truth the big loser would again be Porte who went to BMC to get out from under the Kenyan's shadow. How would he feel if, after finally cementing himself as a viable TdF GC contender in one of the few squads who can match Sky's budget, suddenly the guy he acted as a domestique deluxe for reappeared to put Richie back down the pecking order? A wee leak to the press, at a stage when technically riders and teams are not supposed to be making approaches to each other, would require a firm denial and make such a move that bit harder to engineer and allow Sky to come up with a package to try and get Froome to stay.  Again I have to emphasise that this is just  a flight of imagination based on conjucture and theorising- I'm not saying this happened! A lost opportunity to rescue his reputation by breaking the link that has been tainted through Sky's disasterous TUE/ jiffy bag debacle could maybe add a bit of spice to any race. Even the post-race comments were more barbed than usual, but again perhaps I am reading too much into it- after all this is really the first time that the Tasmainian and Froome have really gone head to head on almost equal terms and we have no real indication of how that plays with either of them.

So cast that little soap opera aside- is Froome going to win the 2017 Tour?  My heart says no but head says yes. It is highly likely Sky are playing the psychological game here- reduced expectations lead to reduced pressure, and Porte will probably still have his one bad day. And of course we haven't even looked at Quintana yet. Is Nairo's Giro-Tour double attempt actually another sandbagging strategy? Go into the Giro, look under par and instead use it as an actual training race for the Tour? This of course may all be wishful thinking on my part  and probably come July 23rd, Murdoch newspapers will be hailing "their" man as a great human being before reverting to type and encouraging White Van Man to cut a swathe through ordinary cyclists on the 24th. Am I grasping at straws in an attempt to add intrigue and jeopardy into this year's Grand Boucle ahead of watching the horde of white jerseys sitting at the front defend Froome's lead? Probably but it is still a good time to remember - races are won off, as well as on the bike and it would be nice if, for once, Twitter wasn't full of the too cool for school types who publicly decree that they stop watching as soon as Froome takes yellow (but suspiciously seem very well informed about how the rest of the stages go...!).

Team Sky and the Soccer-isation of Cycling

Let's clear up one thing at the start- this is not yet another attack (or defence) of how Sky have handled recent developments. There are plenty of other places where the whys-and-wherefores are being picked apart. While Sky's earlier promotion of their own cleaner-than-clean-you-can-trust-us PR image more or less guaranteed  that this situation was going to arise just as a politician who fronts an anti-drink driving campaign will inevitably be caught behind the wheel with a few Dan Lloyd mineral-waters consumed, this is more about what the reactions say about how cycling and cycling fandom has changed, particularly in Britain.

If, like most normal people, you actually read the title of this piece before  the main body, then you can probably guess where this is going. And I don't mean "soccerisation" in relation to the influx of money- well not totally, because Sky's approach to buying up any potential challengers and adding them to the team may sound familar but I mean more about fan dynamics. Ever since 2012, with Wiggo fever and so-called newspapers, that are more likely to be found on the dashboards of sociopaths happy to run cyclists off the road, offering free cut-out sideburns, the British were percieved to have suddenly developed an interest in the sport.  The UK Cycling Expert Twitter feed in particular is a hilarious and genius creation that parodies the new converts. Now this isn't slating new fans- it is indeed a joyus thing to attract new supporters and it is what the sport needs to grow and thrive. However looking at some of the reactions to Sky's recent difficulties seems to suggest that many new British followers are bringing a soccer fan's attitudes across, and this may not be so healthy.

Basically put there are traditions associated with being a football fan in the UK. I say this as an outsider because I don't actually follow it and I am in Ireland (so some of this is also relevant to GAA fans) but when it is more acceptable for politicans to be caught out in a lie about supporting a team than simply saying they aren't really all that into it , there is a lot of social and cultural capital in adhereing to certain customs and attitudes. However these don't translate so well to cycling.

For example I have seen many people feel almost offended that someone else dares to support a different team to them. Twitter exchanges I have seen from people who would otherwise have a lot of common, degenerate into real insults and the calling of the other person's intelligence into question. It tends to lapse into that unthinking brand of patriotism that the UK and USA seem to do so well- basically "this-is-my-team/country-so-are-unable-to-do-any-wrong-because-they-are-MY-team/country-and-any-highlighting-their-shortcomings-is-treachery". And that has largely been a lot of the reaction to the media coverage of Sky (and the irony of a Murdoch linked body complaining about bias and unfair reporting is just too delicious to let pass without comment!). I have a rule of thumb that says as soon as someone calls the questioning of an individual or body a "witch hunt", they may as well run up a flag that says "guilty" and this is one of the terms that keeps popping up in discussions. Simply reporting the fact Sky has been asked questions and their answers found somewhat wanting is now seen as bias and "tall poppy syndrome". Repeated slogans and mantras of groupthink ("haters are going to hate"; "witch hunt";  "the media love to build people up and knock them down" etc) are being used against people making relevant enquiries to try and get to the bottom of what has been going on.  The questioning of "my team" is now seen as a direct personal attack on the individual fan, since they are the ones who have chosen to hitch their wagon to Brailsford's band of brothers (with no room for the sisters according to Jess Varnish. Lizzie Deignan and Nicole Cooke).

This approach to fandom is really quite alien to cycling. Most die-hards are fans of particular riders rather than teams- indeed it is hard to give allegiance to a team whose name (and nationality) can change from season to season based on who is paying the rider's wages. There is also the fact that many people will have a team they support for the Classics, another for the Grand Tours and their national squad for the Olympics or World Championships. Sky in many ways are the cycling equivalent of the late 90s-early 2000s Manchester United- they are an easy team for the late-comer or casual observer to get behind because of their success and British identity (is it wrong to point out that neither of Sky's Tour winners were actually born in the UK...?) and being a well funded operation. The tribalism of soccer is not needed in cycling and in fact could be quite damaging.  New fans are very welcome and are to be encouraged, but they also need to be reminded that the structures and traditions of our sport do not fare well when people become so blinded to team loyalty that they are unwilling for questions to be asked. One reason Lance got away with what he did for so long was an unwillingness and inability to openly question. If a Sky fan gets bent out of shape every time a team rider gets asked about doping they would end up ressembling the route map for the Ronde van Vlaanderen. It is unfortunate but for journalists doing their jobs means that Chris Froome is going to have to answer the same question thrown at him in various languages every day he wears yellow. To be fair to Froome, he handles this with grace and politeness, so maybe the Sky fans need to learn from him, and await the outcomes of the UKADA investigation before feeling put upon.

This week's Cycling Weekly included the results of a poll around attitudes to Sky and the vast majority of printed responses went more for attacking the journalists and MPs than actually engaging with the premise of the question. However, at the risk of falling into the trap of stereotyping nationalities I ask this- if it had been Katusha or Astana in the firing line would the Sky (and British Cycling) fans be responding to it in the same way?